—with reporting by Ralph Bristout and Danielle Cheesman
After three days, Rolling Loud Miami 2018 has officially come to a close. If you couldn’t make it to Florida, or to watching REVOLT’s exclusive livestream, we’ve got you covered with a recap!
MEEK MILL RETURNS
Marking his live performance debut (and 18th day out), Meek Mill made his (surprise) emphatic return during DJ Khaled’s set. “It feel good to be back and free in front of the people,” he exclaimed. Wasting almost no time, the Philly rapper jumped into high-octane favorites “On the Regular,” “Glow Up” and “I’ma Boss.” Throughout his 45-minute set, he pulled a bulk of material from his criminally underrated 2016 album Wins & Losses, entertaining the crowd with “We Ball,” “1942 Flows” and “Issues.”
YOUNG DOLPH HELPS OTHERS “GET RICH”
Rolling Loud Miami 2018 | Young Dolph gives fired Duke University baristas $20,000
The Memphis native invited the former Duke University coffee shop employees, who got fired this week for playing Dolph’s “Get Paid,” to join him on stage for a surprise. “So check this out, this what we gon do. I know for a fact that the VP at that school get money, but he don’t get money like Dolph,” he said, before adding, “So until y’all get a new job, I got $20,000 for y’all right now.” On the spot, the rapper then proceeded to gift the two individuals a total of $20,000. Now how’s that for getting paid?
LIL UZI TAKES A(NOTHER) LEAP OF FAITH
Rolling Loud Miami 2018 | Lil Uzi Vert takes (another) leap of faith
For the second year in a row, Uzi added extra weight to the “Vert” in his name, jumping 20 feet in the crowd to further crystalize his Rolling Loud legend status. Hell, at this rate, he’s fighting for best live performer in his era. In addition to the legendary dive, Uzi also dazzled the crowd with favorites like “Sauce It Up,” “wokeuplikethis,” “Sideline Watching (Hold Up),” and “XO Tour Llif3” to name a few.
TRAVIS SCOTT TURNS A STAGECRASHER INTO A CROWDSURFER
After delivering “Motorcycle Patches,” a stagecrasher managed to barge through security during La Flame’s set. Calling the kid’s bluff though, Travis force-fed him the mic to finish the lyrics, and then ordered bodyguards to back up, photographers to put their cameras down, and the lights to be turned on, all as a command for the nameless kid to crowdsurf: “Y’all gon’ help a real rager make it to other side.”
J. COLE SENDS HIS SUBLIMINALS A CAPPELLA
Kicking ass throughout his classics-filled set, the performance further cemented the fact that Cole is truly a rap giant in this era of hip-hop. But if there was any remaining room left for him to fill and further prove that point, he did so by the time the words to this song finalized his set: “1985, I arrived…” The message to several unnamed but upcoming rappers was delivered directly a cappella, causing the whole crowd to “yikes.” (Except Lil Pump, apparently.)
FUTURE & FRIENDS CLOSE THE FESTIVAL
After Future teased possible guests [to his set by declaring, “It’s 2018, we gotta cut a few relationships to take it to the next level,” that promise was fulfilled in the form of Young Thug and the duo delivered the obvious nod, “Relationship.” The beat of “High End” then introduced Chris Brown to the stage, but no guest was as unexpected, or as hyped up, then Fewtch’s next: “We gotta make sure the last night is the loudest night of Rolling Loud, I promise you. We gotta turn up…” So begun Nicki Minaj’s “Chun-Li” and she graced the stage in a striped two-piece and weather-appropriate clear raincoat, staying for both her madly-memorized “MotorSport” and “Rake It Up” bars.